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[DarkJuno]

OOC: Big time flashback, been wanting to start telling Drake's story since the beginning, and it seemed like as good a time as any. I've said and hinted that the man who would become Drake had been around for a long, long while, but how long exactly...? Well, won't say, but these snippets I hope will at least show how he got to be what he is today, and a little more about his special relationship with "her." Lots of litttle versions, for sure, and I want to draw a corresponding picture with each, but we shall see. For obvious reasons, no, none of ya'll characers would be alive hen any of this happend, especially these first few posts. Besides, it's moot since none of my posts in this thread are in succession. They're chronological, but......vast amounts of time between each.

Anyway, yay.


******


The roar of thunder echoes in the distance, the shock and vibration reverberating through the fine crystal chandeliers of the rich, thickly matted main hall of the Empire of Nsydria. The mightiest, most powerful, and unfortunately cruelest sovereign nation in the world, long had its towering dark towers and legion of incredibly disciplined troops been respected and utterly feared by the rest of the planet. It was not too long ago, perhaps a single lifetime, that the nation had begun as a fairly wealthy, but rather simplistic small nation with its blessed holy royal family and happy population, known throughout the land for its focus on knowledge and the cavernous, impressive library passed down through the generations. Yet, one day, that all changed, as bizarrely, the family began to slowly, but surely, prioritize defense and militarization, as the soldiers began to become more and more well trained, and the citizens began to themselves bizarrely become more and more brazen in their xenophobia to their neighbors.

One day, they struck. The legions of Nsydria spread across its home continent like wildfire, crushing and destroying all the nations about it like poor crippled beasts before the wave of army ants. Like a parasite, it infected and took over all, assimilating all the individual advances and technologies made and discarding what it deemed useless, until it grew into the beginnings of the Empire. Soon after, its naval power amassed and began to slowly but surely conquer and raze nations on the far reaches of the planet, until but one, single solitary nation remained in opposition. Tonight, that nation would fall, the world domination would be complete.

“No. Not at all, my dear.” The Emperor delivers icily, as if breaking down a false façade he had been holding onto for so long.

…what?

The decidedly feminine voice, unheard to all but the one, responds, not really surprised as much as curious. The vile ruler sits upon his throne, his cold eyes in a rare show of arrogant emotion, as he lazily sits, his fine tailored, r regal robes that cost far more then some entire villages’ were worth ruffling about.

“You people, if that is what you really are anymore. So high and mighty you believe us to be but fools to your puppetry.”

I do not know what you are…

“Shut it! Long have I waited to finally call you out for what you are, being!” While it was fortunate that the grand hall was empty at this time of night, at this point the Emperor likely would not have cared. The formless, shapeless being, who paradoxically was very obviously appearing as a rather feminine human to his eyes complete with the voice, albeit ethereal, stepped back, it seemed, as he continued.

“Did you really think I would not figure it out? That I would be but a simple thug for your own personal goals?”

Hmmph, in my defense, ‘tis not hard to believe so when you present yourself in such a way. How long did you know…?

“For the last decade or so. I had always pondered, why would this god-like being come down and aid a simple, pathetic mortal try something as small minded as take over and dominate the world? Clearly, if that being itself wished to meet those ends.”

Fool.

“What, to think I can outsmart you and our arrangement? Admittedly, I clearly did not think things through when I agreed to your bargain, as I can assume that once my legions destroy that last pathetic Providence, I shall wither and die, like dust in the wind.”

As is fitting for your kind. I have no time for this, soon this world shall be mine, and I shall return as a rightful living deity to this planet! Those fools I ascended with shall see their error and cry in anguish as I use my…

“Yet I note that you never thought it through as well?”

Ridiculous

“Is it? You, so blinded by such crude and human vices as greed and the want of power never quite made this bargain as one sided as you intended. Say, for example, that I……not take over the world.”

I…..what?

“What if, I let my followers do so for me, in such a way that I was not directly involved? Or if I forget about even taking over the world and merely……enjoy the riches of this everlasting life you have mistakenly bestowed upon me, and not worry too much about anything else?”

I chose you because your black empty heart knows nothing but domination, you shall never be able to just live your life.

“Indeed. Yet I do know that that destined day…shall not be today.”

Your troops are already at the gates of the last enemy, you arrogant, incessant mortal. By the dawn, I shall be back in physical form, and you shall be but dust under my feet.

With a cocky smirk, the Emperor chuckles, as it grows into a thunderous laugh.

“Ah, but that’s what I wished for you to believe. As we speak, the rebellion is already mounting an assault at all of our greatest stronghold across the world, as the majority of my special forces are trapped in that simple backwater kingdom. A rebellion, I will disclose, that was started by the simple discretion of one charismatic man who supplies them with a seemingly endless supply of funds to train and build up their forces.”

I have seen your meetings, the rebels believe the man or woman to be someone within this very Empire

"Indeed - it is I. I am the one who whispered the idea of a rebellion into these sad sacks of humanity, and it is I who has cultivated them to one day overthrow….myself.”

Madness!

"Indeed, and not only that, they have, for months now, been planning to cripple us at our knees, with information leaked to them by the noble sacrifice of certain spies..."

You…sabotaged your own Empire! You are the one who instigated these leaks, are you not!?

"Of course, but in a way that none shall ever know. Very soon, the vast majority of my top brass and a good deal of my troops shall die, rather bloodily, by this secret counter offensive and the new weaponry they have “independently” developed. Within a week, they shall be at this very doorstep to behead me. It would not surprise me if that brother-in-law of mine were to do the honors, what, after I seduced his sister and stole this throne away from them after the marriage.”

So you would throw all this away? Why? All the years of planning and strategy, for…ruin!? Why? What other use would-

She stops, as she comes to a realization. If she still had eyes, they would have narrowed as she audibly hisses,

...the library.

“Ah yes, all this was but a ruse, as you have guessed. I love my home nation of Nsydria, but……it has far too pathetic a pedigree to be attached to me. But that library and all its knowledge, which I had “destroyed” years and years ago…safely stowed away for research, for I shall have more then enough time to absorb that information once this Empire falls.’

As if you could, you aid yourself that your brother by marriage would likely desecrate your body once he marches in here. What makes you think there will be anything left for me to rejuvenate afterwards?

“Aha, so you are in fact forced to keep your word, that was the one part I was unsure of. But yes, of course you’re right. So, as we speak, my impressively immaculate, uncanny body double is currently in my bedroom, sleeping away, as my loyal head guard will soon dive in and murder what he believes to be the Emperor who has betrayed him…”

That wench…..that whore you slept with, that was his wife!

“Of course. So soon he shall be hailed a traitor and executed on the spot by my other, more loyal guards, as I had not spent the last few years making them begin to question me. So in the end, it shall be the lovely council of elders that the true heir to this Empire’s throne shall cut down by his very hand.”

I have wondered why you even bothered with a body double as my protection is beyond any safety such a concept can allow.

Ignoring “her” the Emperor stands, briskly walking around his throne to the obvious spot for any ruler worth his salt would have a getaway tunnel for situations as this.

“Indeed. Now, if you excuse me, I do believe I must be on my way. I have quite a bit of reading to do and quite a journey to get there….” Angrily, the being snaps, appearing before his gaze. Formless or not, any lesser man would have surely been frightened out of their wits by the now rather demonic, yet still bizarrely attractive and, dare mentioned, physically attractive appearance of the being.

I swear to you, you wretch, the path you travel on shall not be easy, and I shall compound it even more so. I may be forced to aide you all this time, but I am not obligated to make it pleasant as it ahs been! Every time I bring you back, the pain shall be greater and greater, and will eventually break you. This. I. SWEAR.

“I welcome it, the Emperor smiles, chuckling as he notes that he had managed to get under ”her” skin, as it were, “Then let us go. We shall see whose will breaks first….”

We shall…

Edited by DarkJuno, 02 May 2010 - 09:15 PM.

[DarkJuno]

The bright lights of the glitz and glamour of a high end luxury hotel's spotlight radiate into the night sky, the stars sparkling overhead the hubbub. Several luxury vehicles, shimmering in the artificial lights of the mind bogglingly well manicured surroundings of the towering sky rise pull up into a sea of people, crowded with photographers, journalists, and a list of the biggest names in the domain. This is Clocktown, the mighty domain of the open plains, and this was its 150th Anniversary celebration of its founding long ago. Anyone who's anyone in the capital city is here, from the mayor and other city workers to the A-List celebrities and wealthy, all with their own reasons to want to be seen here. Founded by an enigmatic man all those years ago, CT was brought forth with the creed of advancing society with technology and education, as the current high level of quality of life and well bred citizens will attest. Men in the finest tailored suits and women in the vast range of the classiest, most beautiful gowns abound, as people pour into the High Rise hotel's ballroom, where a lively full symphony plays to enrich the background of the decorations and atmosphere. People mill about, prattling on about their lives in both genuine and false camaraderie, standing along the many paths in the ballroom, or sitting at one of the many large round tables, enjoying some of the finest foods and wines bought with no expense spared.

Soon enough, the symphony ends its current piece and remains silent, as the lights dim slightly. A hush falls over the crowd as attention falls towards the elaborate stage off set to the side of the orchestra, as a single spotlight shimmers onto the curtain behind the equally fanciful podium. With a swish of the curtains, a tall, well shaved man steps out, a charming smirk on his pleasant face as he faces the thunderous applause from the crowd before him. Dressed to the nine's in a masterfully tailored dark blue suit, complimented by the high collars of the crisp white shirt and the simple but impactful dark tie, nary a wrinkle located as his mouth opens into a small grin with the small wave he gives to the crowd. This man is the CEO and owner of Nervah Reality Resources, Incorporated, one of the wealthiest businesses in the world, and a high impact player in the workings of the domain.

"Please, all of you are too kind, please..." he clearly replies to the crowd's adoration, giving off an air of civility and modesty to the poor manipulated sheep before him. With the same charm and likeability manufactured through years of practice and application, he continues,

"Thank you, one and all for coming tonight, as we celebrate out great domain's 150th Anniversary on this planet of ours, and its continued success in remaining the envy of all less fortunate to not reside here." More applause, as the man smiles inwardly at how easy it really is to toy with these masses.

"I'll keep this short because, frankly we're all here to have a good time, right?"

A fake chuckle, with a polite cheer.

"I just wanted to say a few words here, before we get things going. You see, all that time ago, a brave, idealistic young man, my great grandfather, came to this land with a dream - a vision. Let us not deny, that this land of Termina is one rich with beauty and life, a fact that we unfortunately only came to realize relatively recently in our march of progress. Nonetheless, it is here, in the plains that a small encampment was founded with the philosophy of the advancement of thinking and technology - without belittling whatever spirituality or faith we as individuals believe in. Putting aside our differing opinions, it was a hope that we could come together for the good of humanity, and push ourselves to the next level of our greater destiny. Now, 150 years later, while we don have much work ahead of us, I do believe we are well on our way!”

More cheers, as the CEO nods and adds,

“Now, certainly, let us not get hasty and trapped in our ego as we celebrate! As I alluded to, we had some problems, such as ignoring the good of this land that we live on in our march towards advancement, but I am thankful to any higher powers that we saw the error of our ways before it became irreparable. This is the greatest failing of some of our rivals on this planet, and I am proud to point out that for all our technology and higher learning, we have kept our wildlife and plant life whom we share this planet with us on our goal. Now we go forth to our goal while protecting our planet at once, and I for one believe my grandfather would approve. Thank you all, and have a good time - to Clocktown!”


******


“Hrmph. Idiots…..” With a mutter, the CEO sighs as he his driver shuts the door to his limousine, leaning back into the fine leather interior. Ah well, such was the price of leading the life of a business mogul, which all things considered was certainly not nearly as stressful as other occupations. It had been a long time coming, but now everything was beginning to come together.

”Oh? A hard day at your fancy banquet, sir?” Looking at the seat across from him with disdain, the man pours himself a drink from the well stocked fridge in the small but roomy passenger compartment, the driver pulling away from the now emptying hotel onto the elevated highway. There a woman sits, her pale alabaster skin accenting her rather curvaceous form which her exotic, form fitting dress showed with hardly anything left to the imagination. Her sparkling green eyes blinked as he rich, red lips smile back to the man.

“Must we do this? Have you not had enough?” With a hush, the woman slinks forward, the man somewhat alarmed at exactly how warm she felt as she essentially pressed herself upon his tailored suit.

”Well sir, if you want to skip all of the pleasantries, that’s fine with me….”


Next thing she knew, she was falling out of the limo with a yelp, as she tumbles onto the side of the well lit road with a painful thud, as several large bills of currency fluttered down beside her. With a mutter, the man slams the door shut as he motions the driver to continue on his way.

Did you really believe that that whore of a woman was I?

Ah. There she was.

“I must admit, it’s not too far off from your usual guises…..” The being feigns pain, as she materializes faintly before him where the woman earlier was seated, wearing the same dress and hairstyle as a means of teasing the CEO.

I’m wounded. Surely by now you know my style…

“If you insist. Still, are you here to taunt me more then you have been the last few days, as my fair domain here rises to prominence?”

No, I have no need to do so any longer.

“Giving up? That is so unlike you, yet I cannot help but be rather unsurprised.”

It is in your character, however, to be so prideful and blinded by it...

“Why should I not? Here I am, enjoying the riches that this planet - my planet - has to offer, and am doing so without utterly ruling it whatsoever. I play to the masses, give them what they want, and even do the good social services of philanthropy to aid the miserable little wretches that line this otherwise magnificent metropolis. All I must do is have the slight annoyance of creating a “child” every few decades to “take over” when one CEO passes on.” With an incredibly unfazed blank look in reply to the statement which almost made the CEO uncomfortable, the being breaks the silence and….smiles, disturbingly, possibly for the first time since she promised to make the man suffer, all those centuries ago.

I would respond, but I feel no need to….

Turning “her” head out the tinted windows, the being merely glances back at the man opposing her and back up at the starlit sky, and disappears once more, leaving only the faintest whisper in the now silent cab speeding down the highway.




….the sky is falling…

[DarkJuno]

“…..and with the failure of the multi missile plan to halt the falling asteroids, the world has all but fallen into disarray. It hardly needs to be mentioned that panic has stricken the streets, from the boonies out in the impoverished nations to the very heart of our fair domain, Clocktown. Now as we wait, only hours away from impact, I would like to take the time to express-”

CRUNCH

With a dull, thick impact filled with a shower of sparks, the impressive flat panel monitor installed upon the wall of the usually bright and clean office cracks, the heavy bookend shattering the ridiculously expensive televisions et into splinters of silicon and displays. Papers and books are strewn about the office, joining with several broken pieces of furniture as the NRR CEO screams in an animalistic rage, pounding his fist straight through the heavy desk before him. Breathing deeply, he calms somewhat, but his fury rises again at the inevitability of it all. This once plush, exquisite office was now the lair of a madman, as it seemed like nothing was working.

The sky is falling indeed. It had been a few years earlier, that rather subtle warning, but a few months ago scientists had indeed seen something odd in the night sky, and in the intervening time it had gone from oddity to curiosity, to alarm, and finally into doom. Asteroids. Meteors. The Fury of Heaven. An incredibly unfortunate random occurrence. Regardless of what it was, it was coming, and nothing anyone could do, from the pathetic little magic men and their paltry attempts at these alleged spells to having the entire military and technological might of the world could do anything to avoid what was no inevitable.

This was the end of the world, and its inhabitants reflected that.

Looting, useless and pointless as it might have been, now ran rampant in the streets below him, and around the world was much the same, ranging from stealing from the local electronics store to an even more meaningless coup de’tat in various nations and domains the world over. Fires burned civilization, a precursor to the great inferno and subsequent winter of death that would spell doom for the rest of the planet. If this was not hell, he could not imagine it possibly being any worse.

Ahhhh, my dear, so full of hope and arrogance…..now where is it?

“….shut up.”

I hardly believe it matters. You’ve lasted far longer then I ever thought any mere mortal could, but give it up my sweet. You have lost.

“I said, shut up….”

I will not. Come now, say the word, and I will rescind my offer, as all it takes is our mutual agreement to end our pact, or contract as the term you would currently use. Embrace the end, and wither away into the dust where you belong.

“I said…”

Join this world and end toge- With a start, the surprised being - who was doubly surprised at the fact that she was acting surprised - yelps as the man leaps forward and, while he of course passes through her ethereal, womanly form, he still slams into the bookcase behind her, shattering it into pieces in the process. With a crazed, unhinged wild fury, he thunders, almost frightening “her” with the tone as he thunders,

“No, no, NO. I will NOT BE DEFEATED. THIS is NOT the end! I’ll…I’ll…I’ll find a way! I will not be beaten by the likes of you or any other! I can beat this….I can win! I must win!”

Regaining her composure, the being responds to the clearly mad CEO in her usual haughty voice, still disturbed by the breaking of his usual composure.

Is that right? What will you do? Let this world completely and utterly die, as the ravages of this event destroys life so utterly that even the invincible roaches wither into nothing in the ruins of cities and ashes of forests? Make it so the two of us trudge through this land together, yourself dying horribly every few moments as the lack of oxygen in the atmosphere kills you over and over so quickly, that you don’t even have a chance to take me up on my offer to end it all?

“Don’t be mad, woman! You and I have been through enough - seen humanity seemingly end itself several times in the last few millennia by way or war or arrogance, yet life still spring back up. Even with this being a much larger catastrophe, I believe it shall be the same in the end….yes…..that is it….”

Madness. That would take….

“EONS. Yes, it would…that’s the ticket…..” At this thought, the CEO bizarrely calms down, as he stumbles to his once precious desk and digs around in the shambling remnants of its drawers.

“My emergency bunker, in case war ever broke out. I designed it as to be used as a habitable shelter for humans to survive in on our moon and beyond once this space program moved forward beyond that silly but necessary orbiting station we have above.”

That would never sur-

“It will! It’s deep enough to avoid the shockwave….runs on geothermal energy…..and contains all my greatest innovations and secrets, and in theory can last forevermore with maintenance…..yes….” Seeing a glint of metal in the rubble, the CEO grabs it - his keychain. With a nod, he stands, dusting himself off from his prior anger and seeming like a completely different person.

“Indeed, this is how I will win. You will see! All those teeming monsters out there, these masses!?” With a useless wave of his arm he motions to the streams of people below, committing unthinkable and utterly pointless criminal acts, “These people do not deserve me and my innovations. All a group of idiots, all attempting to pleasure themselves but unwilling to take the responsibility that being a human being requires. Fools, I shall be glad to be rid of them!” Turning, he points at the being and continues,

“…and YOU. You and I will continue our contract, as you call it, and when this world eventually, however slowly it might be, heals and life returns, whether by mysticism or science, we shall return to our duty.”

…our duty, my dear?

“Whatever. I vow to you as you vowed to me so long ago - I will survive and win, and triumph over anything, including this. And you are coming with me, whether you like it or not.” Curious, even if only by small amount, the behind merely smiles, not being entirely facetious or genuine, and ends the conversation.

Very well, my eternal partner. We shall see soon enough if your will is as strong as your words.

With that, the CEO nods, and with a click of his finely polished shoes, walks out of his office, facing his fate….































******






































Beeping. Just….beeping. In the shadows of the dark, a low, incessant beeping is heard ringing. What was that sound again?

What did it mean? Something important.


Maybe.


Who knew anymore.





























……son of a bitch.






“……how very out of character, my dear….”

Edited by DarkJuno, 14 November 2010 - 11:15 PM.